Georgia Tech vs Duke: Three Storylines to Watch on Saturday

Can Georgia Tech get back on track this Saturday vs Duke?

Sep 14, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets cheerleader runs a flag after a touchdown against the Virginia Military Institute Keydets in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech is back in action this weekend when they welcome in undefeated Duke to Bobby Dodd Stadium. The Yellow Jackets had a bye week this past Saturday and are looking to move to 4-2 on the season. They have had a week to digest the loss to Louisville and will be hoping they can right the ship and get back on track this Saturday.

This game is going to provide a lot of intrigue. Duke is in its first year under Manny Diaz and he has been able to continue the success that former head coach Mike Elko had while he was there. Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci was also at Duke before he came to the Yellow Jackets.

While those are two storylines to watch, what are some others?

1. How Good is Duke?

This is not meant to be disrespectful towards the Blue Devils at all, but it is a fair question to ask about them right now considering who they have played. Duke's wins are against Elon, Northwestern, UConn, MTSU, and a 20-point comeback against North Carolina. The defense looks strong, but the offense has struggled. Duke is 15th in the ACC in rushing, averaging 120.6 YPG on the ground and they are 10th in the conference in passing yards per game. It is fair to say that Georgia Tech is the best team that Duke has played this season and we could learn just as much about them as we could Georgia Tech.

2. Can Georgia Tech's running game get back on track?

Georgia Tech had the ACC's top rushing attack a year ago and returned four starters on the offensive line, as well as 1,000 yard rusher Jamal Haynes. While the Yellow Jackets have not dropped to the bottom of the league in rushing, they have not been as effective as a season ago when it comes to running the ball.

Against the Cardinals on Saturday, Georgia Tech totaled 98 yards on 37 carries and averaged 2.6 yards per carry. Against Syracuse, the Yellow Jackets totaled 112 yards on 24 attempts and averaged 4.7 yards per carry. Georgia Tech wants to have a physical identity on offense, but the running game has not found a way to get going and that has meant Haynes King and the passing game have had to do a lot of heavy lifting on offense.

The running backs in particular have not been able to have much success this year, as King has also led the team in rushing in the last two games vs power four teams. Against Louisville and Syracuse, Jamal Haynes has 60 yards on 23 carries, averaging less than three yards per carry. Another running back has not emerged as a No. 2 option behind Haynes and that has left the offense without much of a rushing identity.

Can they get back to running the ball well? I think so, but it has been disappointing to watch so far.

3. How will the defense perform?

While Duke is not what Louisville is on offense and they don't have the passing weapons of Syracuse, they have some talent on offense and Georgia Tech has been exploited through the air this year, especially in their losses. Blue Devils quarterback Maalik Murphy is a transfer from Texas and was a former highly-rated recruit and he has shown good things this year. Running back Star Thomas and wide receiver Jordan Moore are weapons as well.

Georgia Tech has only five sacks this season and three of those came against VMI. While the secondary has faced plenty of issues, not having a consistent pass rush has been just as detrimental to the defense. The Yellow Jackets had only one sack vs Syracuse as they were shredded by quarterback Kyle McCord and they had zero sacks against Louisville. When you are 114th in the entire country in sacks, that is going to spell trouble for the defense.

The pass defense and pass rush could honestly go hand-in-hand. Georgia Tech is 90th in the country in passing yards allowed per game, allowing 229.0 yards per game through the air. The Yellow Jackets have not intercepted a pass and have only forced two turnovers all season, which ranks 125th in the country. While the run defense for Georgia Tech has improved quite a bit, they can't rush the passer, force turnovers, or guard against good passing games. There is still plenty to work on as far as defense goes for the Yellow Jackets.